Investigating the Effects of Beef Consumption on Cognitive and Brain Health

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN · Nov 13, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how eating beef affects brain health and thinking skills in healthy young adults. Over 12 weeks, participants will eat five portions of ready-to-eat beef each week, and researchers will look at how this diet impacts things like memory, focus, mood, and sleep quality. Additionally, participants will undergo brain scans and complete questionnaires before and after the study to measure changes in their cognitive abilities and overall brain health.

To be eligible for the study, participants should be between the ages of 19 and 24, currently enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and typically consume very little beef (about 1 ounce or less per day). They should not have any serious health conditions or take certain medications that might interfere with the study. Throughout the trial, participants will fill out weekly surveys to track their beef consumption and will also have blood tests and brain imaging to help researchers understand the effects of the dietary changes.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• • Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and lifestyle considerations and availability for the duration of the study
• • Males and females; Age 19-24
• • Willingness to adhere to the ready-to-eat beef intervention regimen
• • Enrolled at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• • BMI between 18.5 and 39.9
• • Not pregnant or nursing
• • No history of cognitive or metabolic diseases indicated by diagnosis, including neurodegenerative disease, stroke, Type 1 and 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and cancer
• • No history of eating or anxiety disorders
• • Willing to discontinue dietary supplement use throughout the duration of the study, if they are consuming supplement at the time of the registration
• • No known contraindication to MRI scans as determined by the MRI screening survey questions
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current use of medications that may affect their responses to dietary intervention, such as amphetamines, antidepressants, anti-diabetic medications, laxatives, antibiotics, statins and diuretics.
• • Known intolerance or allergy to beef
• • Current use of nicotine products, including vaping
• • Previous use of nicotine products, including vaping, within the recent 6 months at the time of pre-screening